–How to find a rental in Santa Barbara and Isla Vista–

Click here to jump to our list of houses and apartments for rent in Isla Vista.

We have a great, large house for rent at 6521 Sabado Tarde, plus apartments on El Embarcadero!

How to find an apartment or house for rent in Santa Barbara or Isla Vista..

Updated 4/23/12

( Attn: Landlords, We are happy to add, delete or correct your listing below.  Send email to:  casey@sbrealty.com )

Welcome to our website for Shoreline Property Management in Santa Barbara.  On this page you will find free information that may help you find a rental.  People from other areas don’t know where to begin when searching for a rental in Santa Barbara, Goleta or Isla Vista.  Below are links to many sources so that you can find an apartment or home for rent. 

Check the following free sites:

Check the following management companies that don’t seem to have web sites:

  • Sun Coast Realty, 964-3616

  • Palermo Company, 453-6923

  • Frank Lee Rentals, 964-3385  (Big apartment building near SBCC.)

  • Delmonte Management, 687-2100 (Big apartment buildings near SBCC)

  • Town’n Country Management, 967-6887

  • Palm Garden Apartments, 692-2500 (Big apartment building, reasonable distance to SBCC)

  • Greentree Management, 588-2150

Are you only looking for a short-term furnished rental?  If so, check out:

TYPICAL QUESTIONS WE MAY (OR MAY NOT) RECEIVE:

Dear Casey:  What is the vacancy factor in the Santa Barbara area? 

Per Radius Commercial Real Estate and Investments (a Santa Barbara brokerage), in October 2010 the vacancy factor for apartments in our south coast area was 3%.  By October  2011 the vacancy factor had dropped to 1.79%.

There are noticeably less units for rent in December 2011 compared to the recent past going back a couple of years.

Dear Casey:  I am going to move to Santa Barbara in the near future.  How much should I expect to pay?  I hear that renting in Santa Barbara is very expensive.

Even though there are many cities that are way more expensive than Santa Barbara, newcomers to our city are disappointed that they often can’t live in the same quality of unit as what they’re used to. You’ll probably need to downshift your expectations of what you’ll be getting.  In exchange, however, you’ll be living in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.  Instead of being a hostage in your house because of snow or extreme heat, you’ll be able to be outside and enjoy our (generally) great beach weather.  So if you’re coming from Phoenix, you’ll have lower electricity costs (no air conditioning needed in Santa Barbara) and you’ll have a healthier lifestyle while riding your bike on the path along the beach.

A garage-conversion with a toilet, hot plate, microwave and refrigerator is about $850 and up.  I saw a converted shipping container advertised for $950 per month. Studios (may have only a microwave and refrigerator — no stove) are pretty much $1,000-$1,300; One-Bedrooms are typically $1,200-$1,600 (up to $1950 for a good ocean view) and Two-Bedrooms are often $1,600-$2,000.  Condos and houses can range from $2,000 to $40,000 (yes, forty thousand).

Rental prices basically stayed flat during the housing boom, so even though the price of a house may have doubled, rents barely moved.   If you are a renter, and wondering why your rent didn’t fall 33% in tandem with property values, this is the reason:  rents never moved up very much to begin with.   Many landlords lose money on their properties and we are even seeing rental properties in foreclosure. 

Renting continues to be less expensive than owing a home.

I’m a very famous and wealthy person (ha ha, as if you’re really reading this) thinking of moving to Santa Barbara.  What area of town would you recommend for me?  Santa Barbara area is home to MANY famous and wealthy people, so if you fit into this category you’ll feel right at home here.  Our area includes Wendy McCaw, Bo Derek, David Carradine, David Crosby, Dennis Miller, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Jackson Browne, Jonathan Winters, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Kenny Loggins, Kevin Costner, Rob Lowe, Oprah, Charlie Munger and dozens more.  You’ll probably want to live either in Montecito or Hope Ranch; or at Miramar or Padaro Beach.   You’ll be able to find beautiful mansions behind tall gates to live in.

What about the great deals I see on Craigslist, such as a “new 3 bedroom 3 bath house, with a pool, behind gates, pets okay . . . Only $695 (or $1500; pick a number)?  Can you spell  N-I-G-E-R-I-A?  Worldwide there are people posting con ads on Craigslist trying to get you to send them money.  There are also people who will pose as landlords and meet you at a property and take your cash deposits; and then when you go to move in you find out that someone else is actually living there.  I’ve had some renters ask to see my identification (hmmmm. . . is that because I drive an old truck; and wear T-shirts that sometimes have little splatters of paint on them?). Anyway, I am not offended when asked for my i.d.

You may also see rentals advertised that look like great deals, that are not  scams.  Simply put, some neighborhoods cost more than others . . . and there is a reason why.

What part of town would you recommend?

Santa Barbara has several different neighborhoods.  There’s “downtown”, “lower eastside”, “lower westside”, “upper eastside”, “upper westside”, San Roque, the Riviera, the Mesa, Hope Ranch, Montecito, etc.  You’d really have to go look at the various areas of town to see what you like best.  After having lived in Santa Barbara for 57 years I’ve settled on the Mesa as being my own personal preference — so that’s where I live.  But each area in town has its’ plusses and minuses and I’d imagine that each person thinks they live in the best area.

Since I said that I prefer the Mesa, I’ll tell you why.  I like the fresh ocean air; and the temperature seems more stable — it’s often cooler here when it’s hot downtown.  We have our own shopping centers with grocery stores, restaurants, pharmacies, a bank.  The bus stops are convenient.  We’re only minutes to downtown, the harbor, freeway access.  You can walk to the beach.  We have nice parks (ie. Shoreline Park).  It’s a great area to walk and start your bike ride from.  The Mesa seems way less congested (people and cars) compared to other areas of town.

Are there many NEW apartment buildings?

There are very few recently-built apartment properties.  Most apartments were built pre-1970.  One of the newer complexes, of about 200 units, is located in Goleta.  Typically the newer buildings may be in locations that may not appeal to everyone  (i.e. too close to the freeway or in an unpopular neighborhood, no place to walk to), but they add enhancements such as a pool and exercise room.    The rents in the newer properties typically start at $1600 for a 1-bedroom apartment and $2000 for a 2-bedroom apartment. 

What about Isla Vista?

Isla Vista is where the majority of UCSB students live.  It is convenient to campus & virtually everybody walks, skateboards or rides their bikes to school. 

What are the rents like in Isla Vista?

The rents in Isla Vista tend to be similar to pricing in Santa Barbara and Goleta for studios and 1 bedroom apartments — but the average rents for 2 bedroom units and houses in Isla Vista tend to be higher compared to Santa Barbara or Goleta, but are still a decent value on a per-person basis, averaging $675 to $800 per month.

There are other state universities and colleges that have lower housing costs than those in our area, but the experience of living in the beautiful Santa Barbara area could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you.

My kid wants to go to SBCC (Santa Barbara City College) and wants to live in Isla Vista.  What are your thoughts?

It makes sense to live in Isla Vista because that’s where the parties are.  Additionally, sometimes SBCC apartment-hunters run out of options in finding something closer to their own campus. 

The negative aspects of living in Isla Vista, asides from the huge amount of partying, would be the commute to SBCC, about 30 minutes (15 miles) each way.  Personally, if I were a serious student and went to SBCC, I’d find something closer to SBCC.    If you are interested in the possibility of Isla Vista for your SBCC kid you can drive around there . . . you will see “for rent” signs on many buildings that have vacancies . . . many are near the municipal bus stops (there’s a direct bus to SBCC from IV).

If you’re going to go to SBCC, aren’t a big party person and actually serious about school, you might want to give serious consideration to living as close to campus as possible.  The property rents closest to SBCC might be slightly more than other properties a mile or two away, but the convenience could be worth the extra cost.  Many kids plan on driving their cars to SBCC; but this is really not recommended because finding a parking spot is very challenging.  It’s so much easier to be within WALKING DISTANCE, and there are many properties nearby that are very popular with SBCC students.

What’s the best way to find a house or apartment for rent in Isla Vista?

Houses in Isla Vista are always very popular rentals, and because of that they tend to rent early in the season.  Sometimes we will have one of our houses pre-rented before Christmas break (keep in mind the lease would not be starting until the following July).  If you want to rent a house in Isla Vista it is recommended that you start your search early and try to have your group well organized.  Apartments for rent in Isla Vista generally start lease signings in January (move in late June/early July usually).  The “best” apartments in the “best” locations (say, narrowing in to that sweet spot near the ocean and closest to UCSB, like 6500 blocks of Del Playa, Sabado Tarde, El Embarcadero) will generally be snapped up earlier in the season . . . as compared to apartments farther from campus and farther away from the ocean.  A good way to locate apartments is through the management websites, Craigslist, UCSB Housing website and from SIGNS ON THE PROPERTY.  Try riding your bike or walking around your favorite areas in Isla Vista and you’ll see “for rent” signs.

What about the “LOOP” AND “ICON” properties in Isla Vista?

The “Loop” and the “Icon” are two of a few new development projects, next to each other, in Isla Vista being built in the commercial area, with projected completion by fall 2012.  They are massive appearing buildings and are for high density living, with lack of parking, and considered expensive. The location within Isla Vista would be considered to be good, as it is one block to campus and a couple of blocks to the beach.  There will be commercial units on the ground floor and residential units above.  Neither of these projects offer significant parking spaces for cars, which enabled the developers to add more units and higher density to their limited land space.  At least one of the projects offers some kind of underground robotic parking, at an extra rental price.  If you decide to live at one of these properties, you probably shouldn’t bring your car with you as parking is already extremely difficult in this community.  We are not aware of any reviews of the units at the Loop or Icon properties and are curious as to how people will like living there.

Should I pay  a rental company for a list of rentals? 

I have had some people tell me that they felt they wasted their money by paying for a list of rentals.  Why? Because most of the information is available for free elsewhere AND the list may be incomplete AND many rentals will already  be taken by the time you call.   But if it’s only $30 or so for a month (updated 2x a week only) it might be a good investment.  The most popular rental listing service with a good reputation seems to be:

  • www.preferredrental.com  They also have some “free” listings in addition to their “pay” list.   They also offer a personalized service to help people, newly moving to Santa Barbara, find a place to rent.  This service may seem a bit pricy, but I can definitely see the benefit and value . . . because in moving to a new town it is important to find out “where you don’t want to live” as well as “where you do want to live”.

When I call the phone numbers in the ads to get information I often only get an answering machine — and then I never get a call back.  How come landlords don’t answer their phones?

Searching for a rental can be very frustrating; and in this day of “instant communication” we still have some people who are slow in responding to inquiries.  BUT MAYBE this is a sign that if you rent from this person and have a problem (say a stopped up drain) you may not get good service.    Sometimes the number of calls a landlord receives can be overwhelming and so it can be hard to keep on top of it all.   Many people leave incomprehensible messages, including not saying their phone number clearly, or the cell phone message gets crackled up. Some people call about places that were rented weeks before so in cases like that I usually don’t call back. 

Another thing, I had an appointment to see a place and the landlord never showed up.

I don’t hear this complaint too often but I know it happens.  I think usually it’s the prospective tenant who doesn’t show up. I can’t tell you how many times a prospective tenant will make an appointment with me and then not show up.  Not long ago someone made an appointment with me to see a place in an hour — I was there waiting, then finally 10 minutes after the appointed time I called the person.  She told me that she hadn’t left yet, but would be there in 30 minutes, that she was really interested in the place.  Sorry, I left.  And typically someone will make an appointment then show up 30 minutes late (I’m already gone), and then they call me to see why I’m not there and I have to tell them, “Sorry, I can’t help you.  I only deal with people who show up on time.”

How come you didn’t hold an apartment for me?  I came to see it two days ago and you should have called me to tell me someone else was interested in it !

I don’t high-pressure anybody into renting an apartment from me.  I don’t hold apartments for prospective tenants.  If you see something you like you probably shouldn’t dilly-dally because when it comes down to it, there really are not that many nice places on the market at any one time.  Most of the stuff that is for rent is unattractive, out-dated, needing repairs and/or dirty. 

How fast do apartments and houses rent in Santa Barbara?

I never know what to expect when I advertise a place.  Sometimes it can take up to a week (or more), but often, surprisingly, it will rent the same day — or even as quick as one or two hours of putting it on my website and Craigslist.   

If you’re talking about rentals in Isla Vista, the best places in the best locations get rented 6 months in advance ( ie: people rent them in January — and won’t even be able to move in until late-June or July). 

I have a dog.  How come no one will rent to me?

It’s simply amazing how often carpets are ruined by pet urine; along with doors, trim and screen doors damaged by scratching; kitchen cabinets ruined by chewing, mirror doors ruined by (male) dog pee  (turns the mirror black), dog poop not picked up (“wasn’t my dog’s) and frightening, biting or nipping a neighbor or visitor.  Or the dog is left home and barks all day at every little sound driving the neighbors crazy.

With that said, I do sometime rent certain units or places to people with certain qualifying dogs at an extra monthly charge ($90); and will take cats in certain units at no extra charge.

I live out of town and would like to get things lined up to look at in a week, can I make an appointment to see your apartment in 7 days?

Probably anything decent you see for rent now will be gone by then.  The situation in Santa Barbara is that the market changes hour to hour, day to day.  I usually only make same-day appointments.

I live in New York.  Can you just rent me the apartment without me actually seeing it first?

Some brave people have rented from me 1,000s of miles away, only seeing the photos on my website and speaking to me on the phone.  Knock on wood, it has always worked out fine with everyone ending up happy.  But I don’t recommend it and I don’t like doing it.  You should personally look at many rentals if you don’t know the market and meet the landlord or property manager.  There are so many scams out there you have to be careful who you deal with.

I own some rentals and would you be interested in managing them for me?

I have all of the work that I can currently handle; but you have your choice of many other good management companies in Santa Barbara that would do the job for you. 

I don’t want to be a renter.  I want to buy income property.  Who should I contact about this?

You would want to contact a broker who specializes in this type of property.  Your first stop could be Matthew Kelley, owner of the Channel Group:  http://www.channelgroupsb.com.

Tips on renting a place:

  • Show up on time to your appointments.  If you make an appointment and then either have a change of heart or simply can’t make it,  PLEASE CALL THE LANDLORD.  Our time is just as valuable as yours, and it’s rude to waste an hour of someone’s time by not showing up.

  • If you have a dog, good luck !  Maybe 10% of the properties, at the most, will take a dog.  Your chances are better if it’s a Poodle or similar small dog.  Your odds are closer to zero if you have a German Shepherd, Rotweiller or Pitbull.  Offer to pay “dog rent” (in addition to security deposit) if you have a dog.  Offer $50 or $100 per dog extra per month.  If you are a renter and thinking of getting a dog, reconsider!

  • Make sure you have a clean credit history.  If you have collections, bankruptcies or past evictions showing up on your credit report you may have less options in renting a really nice place.  If you have a foreclosure on your record it may not affect you a whole lot.

  • If you’re really nice to your landlord he/she will probably  be a good future reference, making it easier to secure housing in the future.


Leave a Reply